Dolly Parton is a name we all know and love. This southern-Appalachian country star was born in Sevier County, Tennessee on Jan. 19, 1946. Her upbringing was tight knit. She was one of 12 children living in a one-roomed home, nestled away in the mountains. Dolly and her family had always been musical people who regularly gathered around the radio to tune in to the Grand Ole Opry. Young Dolly began making songs and, unable to read or write herself, would have her mother write down her lyrics. As she grew, she explored new opportunities as they came her way.
At 10 years old, Dolly Parton began her music career. She began singing for local radio stations, and by age 13, she sang for the Grand Ole Opry. Dolly Parton had a dream to become a country musician and followed it to Nashville. When she packed up and set her sights on the future, her career would be in full swing. Over the course of over 50 years in the country spotlight, Dolly had 25 songs reach number one on Billboard country music charts, 110 top-rated singles and 41 top 10 country albums. Many themes within her music elaborate on controversial subjects, especially among communities in the south.
Parton was unapologetically anti-racist, anti-homophobic and feminist, which are values that permeate her lyricism and music. Whitney Houston covered one of the songs she wrote, called “I Will Always Love You,” and Dolly used the royalties to invest in a Black community in Nashville, Tennessee. Parton claimed that she was happy to invest in job opportunities in this area, because she felt that this was the “house that Whitney built.”
Another captivating example of her music making real change in society is her song “Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos).” This song is on her album “9 to 5 and Odd Jobs,” and her performance of it is haunting. The song is based on a real event, where a U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service’s plane that was transporting 32 Mexican immigrants to be deported experienced a totally fatal crash. In the news coverage, none of the immigrants had their names mentioned, while the American crew did. Dolly Parton wanted to call attention to the racism related to the coverage, and did so by singing solemnly in remembrance of them. At the time, this was seen as a political statement and continued to prove that Parton was unabashedly progressive in nature.
Dolly’s music worked wonders, but her philanthropy work continues to leave a lasting effect. She founded the Dollywood Foundation in 1988 with hopes of increasing the educational resources for children in Sevier County. By giving 500 dollars to every seventh and eighth grader, dropout rates decreased from 35 to 6 percent. In the following year, she offered 500 dollars to every kid who wanted to go to college in that area. Her continued support of educational efforts is seen with a yearly $15,000 college scholarship to five high school seniors in Sevier County.
Additionally, she founded the Imagination Library in Sevier County, which sent one book per month to every child that was enrolled. Parton’s philanthropy expands beyond education, as seen through her million-dollar donation to Covid-19 research, one-million-dollar donation to LeConte Medical Center and an additional million-dollar donation to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital.
Dolly Parton passed away this year on Aug. 25, but her influence will never be forgotten. She had a heart that extended far beyond herself and her career. She used her earnings and position to cater to those around her that she loved, which earned the respect and adoration of millions. She is well respected among many communities and will continue to be for generations.
